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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706298">The Unforeseen Elopement of Arya Stark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persuade_me/pseuds/Persuade_me'>Persuade_me</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Arya/Elmar but not really, Elmar is Mr. Collins, F/M, Not really canon divergent but sort of</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:33:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,557</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706298</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persuade_me/pseuds/Persuade_me</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As the first shop over the border, Gendry is used to dealing with runaway couples looking to elope. He expects it.</p>
<p>He did not expect Arya Stark.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arya Stark/Gendry Waters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>262</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Unforeseen Elopement of Arya Stark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I read an article recently about the blacksmith shop in Gretna Green, the little town just over the Scottish border where all the Jane Austen characters (and real life people) ran away to elope because of the restrictive English marriage laws. The blacksmith shop is, to this day, a popular wedding site, and I loved the idea of poor, grumpy Gendry performing all these weddings for couples. And thus this fic was born.</p>
<p>Don't ask me what the geography of Westeros is in this fic, because I have no idea. Just go with it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The distant sound of horses’ feet echoed through the evening mist, no doubt signaling the arrival of yet another couple seeking to escape the restrictive marriage laws from just over the border. Gendry looked down at the simple meal laid out before him, the book propped open against a jug of ale and sighed. He was not in the mood for this tonight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not that he was ever particularly in the mood for it these days, but as the first stop over the border, his little shop took the brunt of lovers pouring into town, and he’d learnt to fake a smile as he pronounced them man and wife while he tucked their coin into his purse. But it was late, and the day’d been long, and he wanted nothing more than to be left in peace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could turn them away, he mused to himself. Tell them to come back in the morning. Send them down the way to someone else willing to perform a quick ceremony. There was no wanting of that in their little village. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But coin was coin. And he rarely turned down coin. He sighed again before pushing himself back from the table and crossing the small room to call up the narrow staircase.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bella!” he cried. “I think we’ve got another.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A thump sounded on the ceiling above him, his sister’s form of acknowledgement that she’d be down momentarily, and he moved to quickly straighten up the front room of their small home, checking to make sure everything he needed was in place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they’d first moved here years before, the elopements had fascinated him as an oddity. Everyday, multiple couples appeared in town, looking to take advantage of the lax laws. Sometimes galloping in at top speed, disapproving parents or jilted lovers at their heels as they pounded on his door. Sometimes wandering slowly around town, taking everything in before carefully choosing one of the many available options for their nuptials. Sometimes so clearly desperate to get to the bedding, he was mildly surprised when they actually made it to the inn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marriage was simple here. A declaration in front of witnesses, a quick handfasting, and that was it. Legally bound together in less than five minutes. Simple. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And a booming business that Gendry was more than happy to take advantage of. He’d added a few touches of his own, namely binding their hands together over his anvil and incorporating his hammer into the process. Mainly due to the fact that he’d grown weary of setting it down every time some besotted young man knocked on his door, but his fascination with the practice was long gone, replaced by varying states of annoyance depending on his mood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But still. Coin was coin. He sighed, looking longingly at his steaming bowl of stew. At least it should be quick. He straightened his tunic and ran his fingers through his hair, aiming for a hint of respectability. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The clopping of the horses stopped, halting just outside his door, where the sign hung declaring </span>
  <em>
    <span>Marriages performed</span>
  </em>
  <span> and instructing those seeking them to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Inquire within.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He heard a woman’s tired voice on the other side of the window, the sound somewhat dampened by the glass. “You tie up the horses. I’m going inside.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, my darling,” a man responded in a sickly sweet tone that made Gendry’s teeth clench. “I still can’t believe we’re doing this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed again and moved to stand in front of the door, mentally preparing himself for the entrance of the inevitably starry eyed bride who would almost certainly be gushing with enthusiasm over </span>
  <em>
    <span>how romantic</span>
  </em>
  <span> it all was. After four long years of performing runaway marriages, it was what to be expected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> what he expected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door burst open, and a windswept young woman with dark brown hair and flashing gray eyes stepped inside. Her gaze darted around the room and landed on him, rooting him to the spot. She eyed him calculatingly, looking him over like she was sizing him up for battle, eyes narrowing as they swept across his broad shoulders and down his thick arms before sliding up and inspecting his face. She seemed to be searching for something, and Gendry suddenly felt rather exposed at the intensity of her scrutiny. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever it was, she must have found it. Her face, which he couldn’t help but notice was a rather beautiful one, shifted into determination as she nodded to herself. “You’ll do,” she muttered. “How much do you charge for a wedding?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, ten coin, miss.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right.” She turned around and bolted the door behind her. “I’ll give you sixty to not do one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He blinked at her. “What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sixty coin to do nothing,” she said, stepping towards him and reaching into her cloak to pull out a small bag. “Just keep that idiot outside away from me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He blinked again. This was new.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bella’s footsteps sounded on the stairs, and the young woman whirled around, her face suddenly panicked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His sister emerged, a welcoming smile plastered on her face. “You must be the bride,” she said pleasantly. “And where is your groom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman turned back to Gendry. “Please,” she said. “I am begging you. Do not let him in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door rattled as the man outside pulled at the knob. “Arya?” he called out, tugging at the door again. “Arya, my darling. I can’t get in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman’s, Arya’s, face turned stony. For a moment, Gendry thought she’d start yelling, but instead she walked calmly to the door to address the man on the other side. “That’s because I locked you out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a moment of silence. “But, my darling, we can’t marry if you lock me out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” she said. “I know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another moment of silence. “I don’t understand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She let out a huff of exasperation. “Elmar, have I not spent the last four months telling you at every opportunity that I would never marry you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And have I not told you </span>
  <em>
    <span>repeatedly</span>
  </em>
  <span> that I would do anything in my power to get out of this marriage?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And just one week ago, did you not listen to me speak </span>
  <em>
    <span>at length</span>
  </em>
  <span> how arranged marriages were forbidden here, and how if only I could make it over the border then I would never be forced to marry you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So why, only days before our planned wedding, would I suddenly decide to elope when I could have just waited to be wed properly?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A long moment of silence. Gendry had the notion that this Elmar was thinking very hard on the other side of the door. His eyes shot to Bella, who was watching the scene before them with wide eyes, one hand clamped over her mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just thought you couldn’t wait another day for the bedding, my darling,” came his eventual answer. “I know I can’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya’s head turned, disgust clearly visible on her face, and Gendry felt a rush of sympathy for her. He knew that arranged marriages were common where she came from, especially amongst the nobility, and he knew that many a young lady took the trip over the border to flee those arrangements. He’d performed more than one hasty marriage for couples that kept looking nervously over their shoulders until the deed was done. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t imagine being forced to marry someone he didn’t love. And this woman clearly did not love her betrothed. Going by the look on her face, he’d say loathing was probably a more apt descriptor of her feelings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have never let you touch me,” she said, her tone dripping in disdain. “Not once. I shy away from you every time you come near me.” She paused, shuddering. “Have I not told you nearly every day since this ridiculous arrangement began that you physically repulse me, that I’d rather throw myself to the wolves than let you bed me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...well, yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bella snorted loudly, unable to hold her stunned laughter in any longer. Arya glanced back at her then turned to face Gendry, wordlessly pleading with him. Her desperate eyes were almost silver in the lamplight, flames dancing in the pooling tears. She closed her eyes, face suddenly crumpling in despair, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Gendry had had any reservations about this situation, that lone teardrop shattered them. He crossed the room quickly, stopping himself a respectable distance away, but still close enough to reach out and grasp her hand briefly. Her eyes flew open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s all right,” he said softly. “You’re safe here.” He turned to Bella, whose look of amusement had morphed into concern. “Get her something to drink,” he instructed, and his sister snapped into action as he turned his attention back to the distraught woman in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya’s shoulders sagged in relief, her hands flying up to cover her face as she let out a shaky breath. “I didn’t know what else to do,” she said, her voice muffled by her hands. “I just couldn’t- I-” She stopped and took several deep breaths before sliding her hands down, revealing her silvery grey eyes over the tops of her fingers. “You swear?” she asked. “You swear you won’t make me marry him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry shook his head. “Even if I wanted to, it’s illegal here,” he said reassuringly. “But it seems to me that no one should be forced to marry someone they don’t want to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bella stepped up beside him, a mug of ale in her hands and nodded in agreement. “I swear, you’ll be safe here. Besides,” she continued, “he seems like a right idiot. I can’t blame you for running.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya let out a watery laugh. “He is,” she said, wiping the tears of relief from her eyes. “Can you believe he just followed me? He found me this morning when I was trying to sneak away, so I told him I was leaving, that I was coming here, and he just nodded his head and said ‘Sounds good to me.’ Then he followed me to the stables, and got on a horse.” She chuckled again, shaking her head in disbelief. “I gave up telling him to go back. I figured that if it looked like we went for a ride together, my mother wouldn’t send anyone after me just yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry stared at her for a moment, then at the door, then back at her. “You told him you were running away, and he… tried to come with you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded. “I’ve told everyone that I wouldn’t marry him. I’ve said it everyday since my mother told me I had to, but no one listened.” She frowned, looking mournfully off to the side. “Jon would have listened,” she said quietly. “He would have done </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had no idea who Jon was, but he nodded sympathetically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bella held out the mug of ale, and Arya took it, downing it quickly. “Thank you,” she said softly. “Thank you so much.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of the door rattling in its frame drew all their attention. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My darling?” Elmar’s voice came through the wood. “Do you want to head back to the Twins now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya closed her eyes, her face twisting up in an expression of long suffering aggravation. “No, Elmar,” she called out. “I do not want to head back to the Twins. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not ever.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A long moment of silence. “In the morning then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something inside Gendry snapped, and he stomped over to the door and flung it open, drawing himself up to his full height and puffing out his chest. On the other side stood a thin, weedy man, almost a full head shorter than Gendry, with limp brown hair and a rather vacant expression on his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elmar blinked and looked up slowly at Gendry’s face, then craned his neck in an attempt to peer around him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck off,” Gendry said harshly, stepping to the side and blocking his view.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elmar blinked again. “Is Arya in there?” he asked. “Can I see her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I said fuck off,” he repeated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elmar frowned. “Should I come back in the morning?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry felt a tug on his shoulder and drew back to see Arya standing there glaring at Elmar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go away, Elmar,” she said firmly. “I’ve told you that I’ll not marry you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He frowned again. “But you’ll get to live in a castle,” he said. “Two castles! No one else has two castles! And you’ll have Septa Mordane with you to keep you company, to help you with your embroidery and teach you to be a proper wife. And you’ll have my father and all my brothers too! After what happened to your father and bro-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sharp crack echoed through the room. Elmar’s hand was pressed against his cheek, and he was staring at Arya with wide, shocked eyes. Gendry’s eyebrows shot up, impressed with her swift reaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You slapped me,” he said, in a tone of mild disbelief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya was shaking with fury. “That,” she seethed, “is the last time you will ever speak of my father or my brother. Leave. Go home to the Twins. Tell my mother and your father and anyone else who will care to listen that I am gone. Tell them I sailed for Essos. Tell them I jumped into the sea. Tell them I joined the Night’s Watch for all I care.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Girls can’t join the Watch,” he protested. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not the point, Elmar!” she yelled. “I am not coming back with you. I am not marrying you. I am not bedding you. I am not having your children. Do you understand?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at her again and nodded slowly, clearly not understanding. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So go tell my mother that I’m sorry, but the Starks and the Freys will not be joining their houses. Not through me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At her words, Gendry sucked in a breath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Stark. She was a Stark.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Even at this distance, he’d heard of the tragedy of what happened to the Starks, the deaths, the betrayals and lies, how the power hungry Freys had swooped in to take advantage of a desperate situation. A wave of compassion for her washed over him, and he resolved to do everything he could to help her. After what she’d been through, she did not deserve to have </span>
  <em>
    <span>Elmar Frey</span>
  </em>
  <span> forced upon her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elmar was nodding again. “Right,” he said firmly. “Your mother. I’ll get your mother and bring her back. She’ll make you see reason. She’ll make you see we must marry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A howl of frustration fell from her mouth, and before Gendry could process what was happening, she’d pulled him back, slammed the door shut, and bolted it again, yelling a very impressive amount of obscenities as she did. She ended her tirade with a truly creative suggestion involving Elmar’s manhood, dragons, and all seven gods of the Faith.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A long silence followed. “I’ll be back with your mother soon,” he said confidently. “You’ll see. We’ll be so happy together, I promise.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of a horse trotting off soon followed. As it faded away into the still night air, Arya seemed to lose all her furious bluster and collapsed against the door. She leaned her head back, eyes closing as she gulped for air, clearly overcome by emotion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s no use,” she said, so plaintively that Gendry thought his heart might crack. “She’ll make me marry him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come now,” Bella chided, as she wrapped an arm around Arya’s shoulder and led her to sit in a chair in front of the fire, kneeling in front of her and gripping her hands. “We’re not going to let that happen, are we, Gendry?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both women looked up at him, one confident, the other resigned, and he shook his head. “No,” he said firmly. “We’re not.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t understand,” she said sadly. “You don’t know my mother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell us then,” Bella said. “Tell us everything, and maybe between the three of us, we can work out a solution.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya blinked at her, bewildered. “Why would you help me?” she asked. “You don’t even know me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bella shrugged. “You need help,” she said simply. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya blinked again and then looked up at Gendry questioningly. He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile and nodded in agreement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya looked uncertainly between them, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “All right,” she said, nodding. “It all started when my father died...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya talked for nearly an hour, weaving together a tale so tragic, Bella’s eyes were shining with tears. Even Gendry, who didn’t particularly care much for other people, felt his chest swelling painfully as she recounted everything she’d been through in the last five years. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her story astonished him, that she’d survived so much tragedy and pain and emerged on the other side. There was strength there, beneath her beauty, that much he could see. But beyond that, there was something else. Something that called to him. Something he couldn’t quite find the words for. Whatever it was, he listened attentively as she talked, vowing to find some way to help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And so she’s convinced that the only place for me is by the side of the twenty second son of a third rate lord whom no one likes,” she said, frowning. “Leaving me to rot in a family where no woman has a voice, bearing child after child, and never opening my mouth to say anything except to agree with whatever my </span>
  <em>
    <span>lord husband</span>
  </em>
  <span> has to say.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She trailed off, looking utterly miserably. “I just- I can’t. I told her I couldn’t do it, but she insisted it would be fine, that I’d learn to love him as she loved my father.” Her eyes filled with tears again. “But my father was a wonderful man, and Elmar-” She scoffed as she wiped at her eyes. “He’s a fucking halfwit who thinks I should sit quietly and learn to play the harp because that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> favorite.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The three of them were crowded around the table where Gendry and Bella usually ate dinner, the pitcher of ale having been emptied and refilled three times already. Arya was fiddling with her mug, turning it over in her hands and tracing the lip of it with her fingers. She was frowning again, her face screwed up in thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s never said it, but I know she doesn’t think I’m good enough for any of the other houses. That I’d be an embarrassment,” she said sadly, staring down at the mug in her hands. “I know there were other offers. Despite everything, there were offers, but she accepted that one.” She looked up, her grey eyes sorrowful. “I was never good enough for her. Not quiet enough or demure enough or beautiful enough.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry started. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not beautiful enough?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was Lady Stark blind? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But before he could say anything, Bella beat him to it. “That’s ridiculous, Arya,” she said firmly. “You’re lovely. Beyond lovely.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya laughed bitterly. “I don’t look like her, you see. My sister- She looks like my mother. She’s beautiful.” She shook her head sadly. “I don’t need to be beautiful, but… it hurts to know that it matters so much to her.” She let out a long breath and ran her hands over her face. “It doesn’t matter now anyway. Elmar will find her and bring her back, and she’ll- She’s still my mother, you see. I can’t- I don’t want to disappoint her.” Her head dropped to the table, and she let out a loud groan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry and Bella looked at each other, unsure what to do, what to say. He wanted to help, but he had no idea what he could do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I could just make her see,” she said to the table. “If I could just make her realize.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Realize what?” Bella asked, and Arya raised her head several inches to look at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That it’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>marriage</span>
  </em>
  <span> or even motherhood I’m so opposed to. It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Elmar</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It’s the Freys. It’s selling me off to one of the worst families in Westeros and not even considering what it’s going to be like for me.” She sat up fully and grimaced. “I’ve known for years that I would have to marry. I’m not stupid. I know what the world is. I’ve known that love would likely never enter into it for me, that the best I could hope for was a kind man who wouldn’t try to force himself on me every night, someone who wouldn’t mind if I wore breeches on occasion or ran off into the woods once in a while. I didn’t like it, but I’d come to terms with it. I’d do my duty as a Stark, but I hoped that at least I’d have some say in who I married.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed. “Before my father-” She cut herself off, frowning. “He would have let me have a say, I think. Made me a match with someone who would let me be myself. But after-” she paused again, eyes focused on a spot about a foot in front of her. “Winterfell is… gone now, and my mother is off to the Vale where my aunt won’t have me, so my mother just </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to marry me off. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wouldn’t be proper, dear. An unmarried lady on her own.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Her voice went high, her face pinched, but then it sagged in defeat again, and Gendry felt another stab of compassion for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So fine, I must marry. Just let it be someone decent, lord or no name knight, I don’t care, but my mother insisted on </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It must be a significant house, Arya!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Never mind that he’s awful. Never mind that he’ll never understand me. Never mind that I detest him. He’s got an acceptable name, and that’s all that matters. What I want doesn’t matter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A heavy silence settled over them. Gendry couldn’t imagine living like that. Hoping for a husband who wouldn’t force her into bedding him. For a life where this remarkable woman could </span>
  <em>
    <span>sometimes</span>
  </em>
  <span> be herself. Where the best she could hope for was the bare minimum of courtesy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He might not have much, but he was beholden to no one. No one would ever tell him who to marry or where to live or when to have children. If he ever chose to do any of that, it would be his choice alone. And then suddenly, he knew how he could help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without stopping to think he blurted out, “Marry me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya froze. She blinked at him. Blinked again. Her eyebrows rose, and her head tilted towards him. “Pardon?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gendry, that’s perfect!” Bella exclaimed, clapping her hands together, making them both jump. “She can’t be dragged home to be married if she’s already married.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya’s eyes shot to Bella. “But- But aren’t you married?” she asked, bewildered confusion all over her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bella laughed. “He’s my brother,” she explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ohhh,” she said. “That explains the-” She waved her finger between them, indicating their striking similarities. “But… marry you? Why would you- Isn’t that a bit extreme?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry shrugged, feeling unexpectedly self conscious under her baffled gaze, at the realization that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> be willing to marry her, impulsive statement or not. “Like Bella said, if you already have a husband-” He stopped abruptly, a flush on his cheeks rising at the thought of actually being her </span>
  <em>
    <span>husband</span>
  </em>
  <span> and all that that implied. “We wouldn’t have to, you know…” He trailed off awkwardly. “Just let your mother think we did.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya stared at him, her own cheeks reddening rapidly. Her eyes darted down to his lips, and he saw her suck in a breath. “You’d- You’d do that for me?” she asked, confused, and he nodded. “Why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His head tilted to the side as he considered her question. “You need help,” he said simply. “And I can help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But-” She cut herself off, chewing on her bottom lip as she stared at him, her face utterly perplexed, as if she couldn’t understand why he’d offered such a thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look,” he said after a moment. “I’ve never intended to marry. Never saw the need or had the desire. Not that I was opposed to it, mind you, if the circumstances were right, it’s just… not something I’ve been looking for.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bella push herself back from the table and cross the room to the stairs, leaving him alone with Arya. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was staring at him, wide-eyed across the table, and he continued. “You’d think a village like this, that we’d all be a bunch of sodding romantics, but we’re not. Well, Bella is, but these weddings, they’re just business,” he explained. “They kind of lose their luster after the tenth one in a week, but I’d be lying if I said I never once thought about the kind of woman that might make me consider it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya didn’t say anything, but the tilt of her head, the lift of her eyebrows indicated that he should go on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thought for a moment, how best to express the jumbled thoughts that were running through his head, why he’d made the offer, why he was serious about it. “I like that you ran,” he said. “I like that you saw a problem with no possible fix, and you took steps to fix it. I like that you didn’t lie to him, that you were honest with him from the beginning. It’s not your fault he’s too stupid to understand, even when you slapped him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya’s lips curved up in a small smile, and he continued. “I like that you value yourself, that you refuse to be less than you ought. I like that you’re strong, that after all you’ve gone through you’ve not just given up and accepted your fate. I like that you’re rational, that you realized marriage might be necessary for you even if you didn’t like it. And I like that you care, that even though she put you in this mess, you still don’t want to disappoint your mother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lapsed into silence and turned his eyes down to the table, feeling a bit embarrassed at how much he’d said. “So, yes, I’d do that for you, because even though I’ve only known you for an hour or so, I believe that you are the rare woman who would make me consider it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lifted his gaze back up to find that her face had gone rather pink. “But all of that is beside the point,” he went on, “because this isn’t about me. This is about you, and what you need. If you want to marry me and then claim I died six months from now and head home as a respectable widow mourning her husband for the rest of her life, then that’s fine. If you want us to help you find a place to settle further past the border, then that’s fine too. We’ll tell no one where you’ve gone, I swear it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But,” he said, “if you want to stay here with me, then I think that-” He stopped, biting off the </span>
  <em>
    <span>I could make you happy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She might seem exactly his type, but that didn’t mean he was hers, and he didn’t want to make any assumptions or pressure her into accepting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you stayed,” he said, “If you accept, I promise that I would never force myself on you. I wouldn’t give a shit what you wore or if you traipsed off to the forest every day. You could be as you like. Just- I mean, we might ask for a little help around the house from time to time, but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I stayed, I would pull my weight,” she interrupted. “I may have been born in a castle, but I’m not afraid of work nor do I expect to be waited on.” She frowned again. “But- tying yourself to me like that, isn’t that a little rash?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged, slightly encouraged that she hadn’t just turned him down flat. “Maybe, but it feels… right somehow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya was staring at him again, chewing on her bottom lip. “You wouldn’t rather wait for some other girl running away from an unwanted marriage? Someone better to look at?” she japed, the jest doing a poor job of hiding her doubt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I rather like the way you look,” he assured her softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mouth opened slightly, then closed, and her eyes softened. “You do?” she asked quietly, as if she couldn’t quite believe him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Quite a lot actually.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” She sat for a long moment, her eyes on his, emotions he couldn’t quite decipher playing across her face. After what seemed like ages, she took a deep breath and nodded at him, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips. “Before I answer you, there’s something I need to know first,” she said slowly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t speak, just pushed her chair back and stood, raising her hand to halt him when he made to do the same. Stepping around the small table, she dragged her chair next to his and sat back down, her body twisted to face him. Her grey eyes were roaming over his face, a curious glint in them, and Gendry felt his heartbeat quicken, his gut tighten.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leaning in, she pressed her lips against his, pulling back almost immediately, a thoughtful look on her face, but his hand flew up and caught her, cradling her jaw in his palm. Ever so slowly, certain she’d stop him at any second, Gendry bent his head towards her and kissed her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t stop him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was still for half a moment before responding tentatively, her mouth moving cautiously against his, lips soft and warm. He could feel them catching on his own chapped ones, and he had a fleeting vision of that tin of beeswax buried somewhere upstairs in Bella’s room. But then, Arya’s head tilted and her lips parted, and all thoughts of anything but the way she felt beneath his touch flew from his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shifted in his seat, angling his head and using the hand against her jaw to pull her closer. She yielded immediately to his wordless request, pressing herself against him as her hand settled on the side of his face, fingers curled into his hair as she kissed him again and again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry’s heart was racing, heat was flooding through him, and he was almost light headed with the desire for more, for more of her skin beneath his fingers, more of her body pressed against his, more of her hands on him. He forced himself to stop, to wrench his lips away from hers and drew back breathing heavily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya had other plans; her lips chasing after him for another kiss. But all too soon, she broke away, pulling back to meet his gaze, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Lips swollen, cheeks flushed, and eyes nearly black, he’d never seen anyone look quite so lovely in all his life. She stared at him a moment, her fingers gently brushing against her lips, and she smiled, the corners of her mouth curving up softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does that answer your question?” he asked, and her smile widened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I believe it does,” she said, flushing even pinker.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smirked, a rush of pride filling him as he reached out to take her hand, triumph surging through him when she laced her fingers through his. “And is the answer to your liking, m’lady?” he teased, somehow knowing what her response would be before the words left her mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t call me that,” she said, her eyes narrowing at him, but there was amusement there and the corners of her mouth were twitching. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tilted his head towards her in submission. “As you wish.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked down at their entwined hands, her smile fading into a serious expression. “Are you- Are you sure?” she asked quietly. “It’s a rather big thing to offer someone you just met, and I wouldn’t want you to regret it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure,” he said instantly, “and this-” He gestured between them, flushing hotly at the memory of her lips on his, the heat in his gut that had yet to dissipate, “doesn’t mean I expect… anything from you. What we do or don’t do is entirely up to you. I swear it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her shoulders dropped slightly, as she let out a breath and nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, yes, I’m sure,” he said firmly, “and I’m not changing my mind. But why don’t you sleep on it? You likely have until evening before Elmar can make his way back here with your mother, so you don’t need to decide right this moment.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded and let out a long breath. “Yeah, all right,” she agreed. “In the morning then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In the morning.” He squeezed her hand and stood. “I’ll get Bella for you. She can help you with…” He trailed off awkwardly. “Any lady things you might need.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya smiled, clearly amused with him. “Thank you, Gendry,” she said softly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A warmth he was entirely unprepared for spread through him at the sound of his name on her lips. “You’re welcome, Arya,” he said before turning to find Bella, who was no doubt listening from the top of the stairs. His foot was on the bottom step when her voice stopped him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gendry?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He really did like the way she said his name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?” he asked, turning back around to see her standing in the center of the room, her hands clasping and unclasping nervously in front of her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think-” She stopped and let out a shaky breath. “I think I’m glad I stopped here.” Her words were simple, but the expression on her face was not. It was vulnerable and hopeful and scared, and it made Gendry’s chest ache with something he couldn’t name, something almost painfully promising. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A smile spread slowly across his face, and he nodded. “I’m glad you did too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She held his gaze for a long moment, then smiled softly again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Gendry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tomorrow,” he replied, and it felt almost like a vow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry was lifting another stone into place, mending the gap in the wall around their garden when he heard it. A wheelhouse, pulled by several horses from the sound of it, coming from the south. He stood, wiping the sweat off his brow and shading his eyes as he squinted into the distance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The road curved just a little under a quarter of a mile away, hidden by trees and making it impossible to see anyone until they were nearly to the border. It wasn’t until the third set of horses came into view that a sense of foreboding came over him. A wheelhouse that grand was an unlikely means of travel for an elopement, and people rarely came that way for anything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Riding behind the wheelhouse was a single rider who, from the look of it, was having a rather difficult time controlling the horse. As they drew closer, Gendry recognized, with a start, the thin, weedy face of Elmar Frey. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’d watched the road every day for nearly two months before Arya’s anxiety finally began to ease, her fears of being carried off lessening a little more every day. Until one day, nearly four months after she’d burst into his life, he realized that it’d been more than a week since he’d caught her looking anxiously out the window. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But now, it seemed the shadow of her ill fated betrothal had finally darkened their doorstep. Followed by a rather impressive wheelhouse. No doubt her lady mother intent on making her Arya Frey. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry frowned and turned to glance back at the house, worried how his wife was going to react to this unexpected appearance. She’d sworn that she was going nowhere. That, if her mother ever turned up, she would just have to deal with it. And he believed her. He knew she wouldn’t leave him. That didn’t worry him. But he also knew how deeply she cared for the ones she loved, and she loved her mother. Through all their differences, all their conflict, all the ways Catelyn Stark never understood her daughter, Arya </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> her, and it was the depth of that love that left her so vulnerable. He’d seen that first hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What was the sudden appearance of her mother after more than half a year going to do to her?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He moved quickly, crossing the small garden in seconds to where the kitchen window stood open. She and Bella were inside, their plan to spend the day baking. Hot Pie had been giving them lessons, and they’d both been eager to try their hand at some of his more difficult recipes. He could see them huddled over the table together, laughing at something he wasn’t privy to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The affection that usually filled him at the sight of his wife and sister’s friendship was nowhere to be found. A quiet fear gripped him instead, and he had to tamp down the desire to tell her to run, to hide, to storm in and wrap her protectively in his arms until the threat had gone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He watched the two women in his life for just a moment before calling out Arya’s name. She glanced over at him, the smile on her face fading slowly at his expression, and he knew she understood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nodding grimly, she wiped her hands free of flour and made her way to the back door to join in the garden. Her face was pale as she stepped up beside him, but there was a look of resolve in her eyes that tugged at him, soothing the disquiet in his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All right?” he asked softly, and she nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me handle it,” she said, reaching out to give his hand a quick squeeze. “If I need you, I’ll let you know.” He nodded and watched as she moved to stand beside the gate, waiting for the inevitable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wheelhouse drew to a stop, and in almost no time at all, Lady Catelyn Stark was emerging, her long auburn hair shining in the sun.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was beautiful, Gendry had to admit. Tall and refined and elegant. Not a hair out of place or a single wrinkle in her fine gown. She had the kind of beauty that befit grand halls, stuffy highborn politics, and servants trailing after her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya’s beauty was wild, flushed cheeks and tangled hair. Walks in the forest and sitting on their roof watching the sunset. Working by his side in the forge, smiling misty eyed at couples interrupting his work, and curled into his side in the firelight. It was entirely unlike her mother’s, and Gendry knew exactly which one he preferred.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Arya,” her mother breathed, “thank the gods you’re here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya stood perfectly still for a long moment, then lunged at her mother, throwing her arms around her in a tight embrace. Catelyn Stark stumbled back under the sudden weight, but her arms came up to wrap around her daughter, and Gendry thought he saw a look of relief on her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they broke apart, Catelyn reached out and gripped her Arya’s hands. “Are you all right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya nodded. “I’m fine, mother. I’m better than fine. I’m-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But she was interrupted by Elmar, who had finally caught up, despite his horse’s best efforts. Dismounting awkwardly, he turned and beamed at Arya, who shrank back, pulling her hands out of her mother’s and stepping out of reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve brought your mother,” he stated. “We’ve come to get you, my darling.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Arya said incredulously. “It’s been eight months.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, well, Elmar got a little sidetracked on his way back to the Twins,” Lady Stark said with a pained expression. Behind her, Elmar gave a bland smile, giving no indication that he was the least bit abashed by apparently taking eight months to travel a distance that should have taken a day. “But no matter, because we’re here now. I’m glad you’re safe, dear, but it’s time to go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not going anywhere,” Arya said firmly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lady Stark sighed, exasperation clear on her face. “Yes, you are. We need to get you back to the Twins-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mother’s face hardened, and she drew herself up. “Arya Stark, you made a promise-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> made a promise. I did no such thing.” Arya’s voice was quiet, but determined, and Gendry wanted nothing more than to step up and wrap her in his arms, but he held himself back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are to be married-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>married,” Arya spat out angrily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catelyn Stark’s face went stark white. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am married,” Arya repeated firmly. “I’m married, and I’m not going anywhere.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elmar’s face contorted in confusion as his brain seemed to catch up to the conversation. “How can you be married? You can’t get married without the groom,” he said, then paused, his head tilting in thought. “Can you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I had a groom, Elmar,” she said, her voice laced with scorn, “and it wasn’t you. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to be you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mother opened her mouth, but Arya cut her off before she could speak. “I told you I wouldn’t marry him. I told you over and over and over again that I wouldn’t do it, and you never once listened. You dismissed all my concerns because it was what </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> thought I should do, and you just couldn’t see. It would have destroyed me, mother, and I couldn’t do it, and now-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stopped abruptly and turned to Gendry, who immediately came up beside her, his arm wrapping firmly around her waist as he stared defiantly at her mother, daring her to just try and take his wife away. “This is Gendry, my husband,” she said simply. “He loves me, and I love him, and he’s a good man. Better than anyone I’ve ever known, and I-” She paused, turning to look up at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like my life here,” she said, facing her mother again. “I’m happy, and it’s simple and sometimes hard, but I love it. Far more than I ever thought I could.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mother’s lips were pursed, but there was a hint of something in her eyes, regret maybe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’m not leaving,” she continued. “You can scold, lecture, and beg, but there’s nothing you can say or do. I’m staying right here. We both are.” Arya’s hand came up to settle on her abdomen, on the barely visible swell of her stomach beneath her tunic, and her mother’s face softened as realization dawned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Arya,” she said, looking at her daughter as if she were truly seeing her for the first time. “I-” She stopped and took a step forward, her face hesitant. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arya nodded and led her mother inside, leaving Elmar standing in the road, blinking after them. After a moment, he turned to Gendry with a bewildered expression. “Arya got married?” he asked. “To you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry crossed his arms and glared at him. “She did,” he growled, and Elmar’s face slackened in annoyance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, what am I supposed to do now?” he whined, and despite himself, Gendry felt a stab of pity for the man. If he’d been expecting to marry Arya only to have her snatched away by someone else, he’d have been devastated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look,” he said, “you live in a castle, right?” Elmar nodded. “Then it shouldn’t be that hard to find someone who wants to live in a castle too. Hells, you could probably step into any tavern in town and find someone willing to put up with you for the chance to live in a castle.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elmar’s face brightened. “You think so?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry nodded. “You might find someone who just wants a comfortable home and won’t care much about anything else,” he said bluntly. “And if you’re kind and let her wear breeches if she wants and don’t force yourself on her, then you might even find someone who would like being married to you.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Doubtful</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought before continuing, pointing forcefully at Elmar for emphasis. “Treat her like she matters,” he said. “Like there’s nothing else so important in the world as she, and there’s nothing you wouldn’t do to make her happy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elmar looked startled, as if the idea of treating his wife well had never occurred to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do that,” Gendry said, “and maybe you can find yourself a wife.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh.” Elmar’s face creased in thought. After a moment, he looked back at Gendry. “Where’s that tavern then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gendry pointed down the road and watched as Elmar wandered off slowly, hopefully with a new perspective on things, before turning back to look apprehensively where Arya had disappeared with her mother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside. Arya turned to him the moment he entered the room, eyes shining and face full of an optimistic joy he’d never seen before. His eyebrows raised in question, and she nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was going to be all right.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gendry,” she said, reaching her hand out for his, “I want you to meet my mother.”</span>
</p>
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